Tag Archives: honey

Summer. Grilling. BBQ. Some of my favorite things! I would probably say that BBQ sauce is my favorite condiment… I even choose BBQ sauce over ketchup for my French fries. Here is an easy and different mashed potato side dish to complement any grilled summer meal!

BBQ Smashed Potatoes

Pieces:

8-10 small red potatoes

one quarter of a red onion, diced

salt and pepper to season

1 tsp. smoked paprika

2 tbsp. honey

one half cup of your favorite gluten free BBQ sauce

Process:

Wash and dice the potatoes into 1 inch cubes.

Steam the potatoes just until fork tender, do not overcook.

Let the potatoes cool. Season with salt and pepper.

Place the potatoes into a casserole dish, and smash the potatoes roughly. Don’t mash until smooth; leave some texture.

I love cooking and spending time in the kitchen, but sometimes weeknights are hard even for someone who loves to cook! Stir fries are always quick and easy, and this one is particularly flavorful. I made it vegetarian, but you can add your favorite protein… cubed chicken, steak, or tofu. Also, these are my favorite flavors, but feel free to create your own and enjoy! Just make sure the veggies don’t get too mushy… that can totally ruin a flavorful stir fry. This recipe makes several meals.

Ginger, Orange, and Cashew Stir Fry

Pieces:

one cup white rice, cooked to package directions

3 stalks celery, cut into small slivers

3 carrots, peeled and cut into small rounds

one quarter cup diced white onion

1 tbsp. olive oil

one red pepper, sliced into thin strips

one green pepper, sliced into thin strips

one cup frozen snap peas

one cup frozen green peas

one cup frozen corn

one quarter cup gluten free soy sauce

3 tbsp. ground ginger

2 tbsp. honey

4 tbsp. orange zest

one quarter cup chopped cashews

Process:

Cook rice according to package directions.

While rice is cooking, add sliced celery, carrots, and onion to a large sauté pan with 1 tbsp. olive oil. Let them sweat for a few minutes and start to soften.

Add the red and green pepper strips and continue to sauté just until veggies are barely soft.

Add the snap peas, green peas, and corn.

Add the soy sauce, ginger, honey, and orange zest. Stir to combine. Continue stirring until well combined and heated through.

After a few years, I have gotten to know my allergies pretty well. I know that I am very sensitive to gluten and that I won’t risk it for any meal. Dairy, on the other hand, I push around sometimes, but only with cheese. I have found there just is no good enough substitute for cheese. I have also heard that hard cheeses are easier for those with a dairy allergy to digest. So, I know that goat cheese and I are friends… and this week I tried blue cheese. In a small amount, we got along… and the intestinal side effects I could deal with. So, here is a recipe for a great cobb salad that I made this week! This recipe makes about 4 good sized salads.

Potato Cobb Salad

Pieces:

8 tiny white potatoes, cut into sixths

6-8 slices turkey bacon, cut into small pieces

one fourth cup blue cheese crumbles

one can corn niblets, drained

4 cups lettuce

one small package cherry tomatoes

3 tbsp. olive oil

4 tbsp. white wine vinegar

2 tbsp. red onion, very finely diced

2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. lemon pepper

Process:

Cut the potatoes into sixths and steam them. Steam just until fork tender, but not mushy.

Drain the can of corn niblets.

In a medium sauté the turkey bacon until desired crispness.

On a plate, arrange lettuce and top with cherry tomatoes, potatoes, corn, turkey bacon, and blue cheese crumbles.

This weekend, I enjoyed some quality time with close friends. In keeping with the green theme of the weekend, I went searching for gluten free St. Patrick’s Day themed food. It was tougher than I thought, but I came across this AMAZING recipe for homemade peppermint patties from Elena’s Pantry. I was a little skeptical… that is, until I tasted the final product. It was a real peppermint patty! I couldn’t believe how real these tasted, and how easy they were to make. Thanks, Elena!

Homemade Peppermint Patties from Elena’s Pantry

Pieces:

one half cup coconut oil

one quarter cup honey

1 tsp. peppermint extract

one cup dark chocolate chips, vegan

Process:

In a small bowl, combine the coconut oil and honey. Mix with a spoon until smooth and well combined.

Freeze for 5 minutes.

Roll the mixture into small balls and flatten them into patties. Put them onto a wax paper covered plate.

Freeze for 1 hour.

Melt dark chocolate in a bowl.

Drop each patty into the chocolate and use spoon to make sure it is covered in chocolate. Return the chocolate covered patties to the wax paper.

My dear friend Jen told me about a chicken recipe that she tried the other night, wondering if I could make it gluten free. Seemed easy enough. And it was… as well as delicious! The prep work took me less than 10 minutes, so it is perfect for a busy weeknight meal that you want to taste homemade. Thanks, Jen!

Honey Pecan Chicken

Pieces:

3-4 boneless chicken thighs (you could also use breasts)

one cup raw pecans

one half cup cornmeal

2 tsp. chili powder

4 tbsp. honey

pinch of salt and pepper

Process:

In a food processor or mini chop, combine the pecans, cornmeal, chili powder, and salt and pepper. Finely chop. Put mixture into a bowl.

Coat both sides of the chicken with 3 tbsp. of honey and then coat the chicken on both sides again with the pecan, cornmeal, and chili mixture.

Place coated chicken in a sprayed cooking pan and drizzle the last 1 tbsp. of honey evenly over the chicken.

Knowing that big meals often come with the holiday season, I have been trying to make some light meals to maintain some sort of balance. This past week, I made a very filling but lightly flavored salad. It has easy and fresh ingredients. And, if you don’t like tofu, you could easily use grilled or baked chicken pieces. The recipe and ingredients here are enough for several days of salads!

Apple, Celery, Grape, and Honey Tofu Salad

Pieces:

1 head romaine, chopped

8 celery stalks, chopped

1 pound of red grapes, sliced in half

4 green apples, chopped into bite sized pieces

4 tbsp chopped scallions

1 package diced firm tofu (or dice a block yourself)

cooking spray

4 tbsp. honey

2 tbsp. sesame seeds

2 tbsp. olive oil

3 tbsp. white wine vinegar

2 tbsp. apple cider

salt and pepper to taste

Process:

Drain the diced tofu and place the pieces in between two dish towels to dry, about 30 minutes.

I had a few random leftover potatoes from various recipes and didn’t quite know what to do with them, so I made an alternative potato salad. I used those potatoes, some leftover red pepper, and quinoa to make a great curried potato salad. It would be great as a lunch salad, or a side to dinner. And, if you don’t like curry, you can easily leave it out.

Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to spend time with family for the Thanksgiving holiday. I did not cook, which of course was nice, but it also made me want to try a few of my own Thanksgiving recipes when I came home! I cooked an herb crusted turkey breast with my mom’s stuffing and my new Cinnamon Spiced Carrots. The carrots were super easy to do, and I would enjoy them all winter long!

Cinnamon Spiced Carrots

Pieces:

8 carrots, peeled and diced into quarter inch rounds

4 parsnips, peeled and diced into quarter inch rounds

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp. nutmeg

2 tbsp. honey

Process:

Peel and cut the carrots and parsnips.

In a large bowl, combine the carrots, parsnips, olive oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, and honey.

Toss the ingredients with your fingers a few times to combine.

In a roasting pan, pour the carrot mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees about 35 minutes, until the carrots are fork tender.

Each Sunday, I think of something to make for my lunches during the week. I try to find a good mix of protein, carbs, and also something a little more fun than just a sandwich on gluten free bread (although those weeks certainly do happen!). This week, I made a sweet tofu stir fry with fall vegetables. It is delicious, and people are constantly asking me what smells so good in the microwave at school! If you don’t like tofu, this recipe could easily be used with chicken.

Sweetened Squash and Tofu Stir Fry

Pieces:

one container pre- cut butternut squash (or one squash you peel and cut up yourself into one inch cubes)

2 zucchini, cut into rounds

2 yellow squash, cut into rounds

one block firm tofu, drained and dried

2 tbsp. cinnamon

2 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

2 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. brown sugar

salt and pepper

cooking spray

Process:

Cut the tofu block into one half inch by one half inch cubes. Lay the cubes between two dish towels and let dry for a couple hours.

In a large saute pan, add the butternut squash cubes and cooking spray.

Over medium- high heat, let the butternut squash saute for 5 minutes. Stir every minute or so.

Add the zucchini and yellow squash rounds.

Season with salt and pepper and stir the veggies every couple minutes.

When the veggies start to soften, add the dried tofu cubes.

Season with cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, honey, and brown sugar.

Continue stirring every couple minutes until the veggies are fork tender.

One of my favorite vegetables is the beet. I think it is the woody taste that I love; it just tastes so hearty. This week, I roasted my own beets and made a goat cheese, beet, and sunflower seed salad. The sunflowers added a nice taste and texture, as did the honey dijon vinaigrette I made. A great fall lunch! Note: This recipe makes four salads!

Goat Cheese, Beet, and Sunflower Salad

Pieces:

4 beets, either red or yellow

4 cups baby spinach leaves

one half cup sunflower seeds

8 tbsp. goat cheese

1 tbsp. olive oil

3 tbsp. white wine vinegar

1 tbsp. honey

2 tbsp. dijon mustard

salt and pepper

Process:

Peel the skin off the beets and slice them into rounds.

On a cookie sheet, place the beet rounds and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake the beets at 375 for about 45 minutes, until soft.

Wash and dry the spinach.

To make the vinaigrette, combine the olive oil, white wine vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Shake or stir well to combine.

In a large bowl, place spinach leaves and top with roasted beets, 2 tbsp. goat cheese, one eighth of a cup of sunflower seeds. Dress with the vinaigrette.